14 Best Movies To Watch After F9 (2021)
If you have finished watching the film F9 (2021) and are looking for other movies like it, here is a list of options to consider.
MaXXXine
SimilarAmerican Psycho (2000), Auto Focus (2002), Bad Education (2004), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), Blue Velvet (1986), Chinatown (1974), F9 (2021), Fargo (1996), Freaks (1932), Frenzy (1972), Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Happy Death Day 2U (2019), Insomnia (2002), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Léon: The Professional (1994), Memento (2000),
Mississippi Burning (1988) Mystic River (2003), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006),
Primal Fear (1996) Rope (1948), Se7en (1995), Secret Window (2004), Silent Hill (2006),
Strange Days (1995) Street Kings (2008), Swimming Pool (2003), Taxi Driver (1976), The 39 Steps (1935), The Big Lebowski (1998), The Omen (2006), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), The Usual Suspects (1995), True Romance (1993), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988),
Watch afterA Quiet Place (2018), Poor Things (2023),
StarringGiancarlo Esposito,
It’s disappointing and fitting that director Ti West’s MaXXXine is undone by its sheer ambition. Throughout West’s licentious slasher series, his films have always featured titular heroines whose dreams were never commensurate with the limitations of their present circumstances (cue Mia Goth’s iconic “Please, I’m a star!” diatribe in 2022’s Pearl). In a similar vein, MaXXXine follows Maxine Minx (played once again by a show-stopping Goth) as she struggles to make a name for herself in Hollywood despite a less-than-savory past (for starters, she’s the sole survivor of a brutal massacre, as depicted in the first film of the series, X).
Like its titular protagonist, MaXXXine has high ambitions, attempting to weave in commentary about the dignity of sex work, the glamor and exploitation of Hollywood, the soul-crushing dogmas of conservative Christianity, and the pitfalls of fame all while delivering bloody genre thrills. It’s an admirable attempt, but, unfortunately, that desire to cover so much thematic ground does a disservice to the film as a whole, ultimately rendering MaXXXine a sizzle reel of iconic 1980s set pieces in a desperate search for a more compelling story to thread them together.
Taking place in 1985 and six(xx) years after X, the film follows Maxine as she carves a successful name for herself in the pornographic film industry. Still, she’s convinced that she’s meant for greater things, hoping to make the leap into non-stag films. She gets her big break when she lands the lead role in the horror film The Puritan II, but cannot rest on the laurels of her inchoate movie career. A serial killer known as the Night Stalker has been brutally murdering young LA hopefuls, and after three of the victims have a direct connection to Maxine, she realizes that her past has caught up with her. In between her blossoming movie career, she strives to stop the Night Stalker, lest her dreams are thwarted. Continue Reading →
Inside Out 2
SimilarA Bug's Life (1998), Aladdin (1992), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Armageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Billy Elliot (2000), Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006),
Boys Don't Cry (1999) Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Bring It On (2000), Brother Bear (2003), Cars (2006), Chicken Little (2005), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dirty Dancing (1987), Edward Scissorhands (1990), F9 (2021), Fame (2009), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Free Willy (1993), Frozen 3 (), Ghostbusters (1984), Good Luck Chuck (2007), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), I ♥ Huckabees (2004), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live and Let Die (1973) Look Who's Talking (1989),
Lost in Translation (2003) Mamma Mia! (2008),
Mary Poppins (1964) Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Moulin Rouge! (2001), Night at the Museum (2006), Ocean's Eleven (1960), Oldboy (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Snakes on a Plane (2006), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Superman Returns (2006), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), The Jungle Book 2 (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Simpsons Movie (2007), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009),
StudioWalt Disney Pictures,
Save for that movie where Larry the Cable Guy supposedly urinated in public, Pixar sequels are rarely terrible. Finding Dory, Incredibles 2, and Monsters University are vastly preferable to the average Minions or Hotel Transylvania follow-up. Even Cars 3 wrung more pathos than expected out of its ill-conceived universe. The greatest problem with these sequels has been that they’re merely competent. They’re serviceable watches, but many are safe retreads of the familiar. Risks are minimal, idiosyncratic animation flourishes are scarce.
When absorbing these follow-ups, it's hard not to yearn for more challenging original Pixar titles like Turning Red, Ratatouille, or WALL-E. Still, details like the unexpected third-act detour of Monsters University or the charming new characters in Finding Dory are absent from your standard Ice Age or Illumination sequels. If we must live in this franchise-dominated pop culture landscape, Pixar has delivered more hits than most. Goodness knows the Toy Story sequels are outright masterpieces of long-form cinematic storytelling.
The newest example of the label’s pleasant, if far from groundbreaking, sequels, is Inside Out 2. Directed by Kelsey Mann (a new feature film helmer taking over for previous director Pete Docter), the sequel expands on the world of Riley’s mind established in 2015’s Inside Out. Continue Reading →
Ultraman: Rising
SimilarAladdin (1992), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Armageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Batman (1989), Batman & Robin (1997), Batman Begins (2005), Batman Forever (1995), Batman Returns (1992), Brother Bear (2003), Cars (2006), Catwoman (2004), Cellular (2004), Charlotte's Web (2006), Chicken Little (2005), Constantine (2005), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dr. No (1962), F9 (2021), Fantastic Four (2005), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Four Brothers (2005), From Russia with Love (1963), Ghost Rider (2007), Godzilla (1998), Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Goldfinger (1964), Hellboy (2004), Ice Age (2002), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Inspector Gadget (1999), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), King Kong (2005), Meet the Robinsons (2007), Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Night at the Museum (2006), Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Snakes on a Plane (2006), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Superman Returns (2006), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Dark Knight (2008), The Legend of Zorro (2005), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Simpsons Movie (2007), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), You Only Live Twice (1967),
Watch afterRaya and the Last Dragon (2021),
StudioNetflix,
Big old monster brawls are a delight. They're one of the great pleasures of the Ultra series, the Eiji Tsuburaya-created science fiction series that's brought joy to folks worldwide for 58 years and counting. While the series kicked off with the monster mystery series Ultra Q in 1966, it was Ultraman (launched in July of that year, shortly after Ultra Q wrapped), the tale of a benevolent alien superhero who lived among humanity and fought aliens, giants, and giant aliens alongside a human Science Team (in capital letters).
In the decades since Ultraman broke out, the series has proven flexible. It's first and foremost a kids' superhero show, but it's made space for experimentation and idiosyncrasy. See, for example, the great Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno's 2022 film Shin Ultraman, a loving tribute to and riff on the original 1966 series that embraces kaiju wrestling and contemplation of humanity's place in the cosmos equally. Or, heck, head back to 1966 and dig into the episodes of the original series directed by acclaimed filmmaker Akio Jissoji.
At its best, the new animated feature Ultraman Rising proves the strength of the Ultra series' core ideas—right good monster mashing mixed with a journey into humanity—with loveliness and style. Unfortunately, it's not at its best often enough to clinch the game. Rising is a messy, disjointed picture. Continue Reading →
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Similar28 Weeks Later (2007), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), Die Hard 2 (1990),
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) F9 (2021), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Frozen 3 (), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), No Good Deed (2002), North by Northwest (1959), Ocean's Twelve (2004), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Shooter (2007), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Superman Returns (2006), The 39 Steps (1935), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Toy Story 2 (1999), True Romance (1993),
StudioColumbia Pictures, TSG Entertainment,
Two questions face most rational people when confronting the existence of Bad Boys: Ride or Die. To the first, why did the filmmakers give it such an anonymous title? Especially while the previous installment had the seemingly more apt name Bad Boys For Life? For that, there is no answer. To the second? Yes, there is a joke involving Will Smith and someone getting slapped. And, yes, it is just as smug, stupid, and predictable as one would fear. The one compensating factor is one can describe the film as smug, stupid, and predictable too. That leaves hope most viewers will feel too numbed by the cacophony of crap to even register the slap gag.
The film begins inauspiciously with an extended and mostly pointless act in which Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) foil a convenience store robbery while on the way to Mike’s wedding to love Christine (Melanie Liburd). Shortly after that, Marcus upstages things by having a massive heart attack and near-death experience at the reception. Those beats out of the way, the cobbled-together plot finally kicks into gear. The local news fills with posthumous accusations that their beloved Capt. Howard (Joe Pantoliano) took bribes from cartels to allow drugs into the country. This cannot stand, of course. But when the two start an investigation to clear his name, everyone with information starts turning up dead. Continue Reading →
The Fall Guy
Similar3000 Miles to Graceland (2001), 50 First Dates (2004), A Bug's Life (1998), Armageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Bring It On (2000), Cars (2006), Cellular (2004), Chicken Little (2005), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dogma (1999), Dr. No (1962), F9 (2021), Fame (2009), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Four Brothers (2005), From Russia with Love (1963), Ghost Rider (2007), Ghostbusters (1984), Goldfinger (1964), Good Luck Chuck (2007), Hellboy (2004), How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), Kiss the Girls (1997), Klute (1971), Look Who's Talking (1989), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Mamma Mia! (2008),
Mary Poppins (1964) My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), Ocean's Eleven (1960), Predator (1987), Pretty Woman (1990), Renegade, Serial Mom (1994),
Shrek the Third (2007) Snakes on a Plane (2006), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982),
Star Trek: The Next Generation The Avengers (1998), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Simpsons Movie (2007), Thunder in Paradise, Toy Story 2 (1999), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), TRIGUN,
StarringHannah Waddingham,
"Delightful." That's the best word for The Fall Guy. It's a movie about moviemaking that loves moviemaking. It's a Tinseltown fairy tale. In The Fall Guy's world, going big at San Diego Comic-Con ("Hall H!" is a repeated refrain) guarantees that a nerdy, bombastic film will go big with general moviegoers. (Mr. Pilgrim would like a word.)
The Big Bad Wolf is Tom Ryder, a gormless hunk with a smoldering gaze (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). He's the biggest action star in the world despite stealing credit from a stunt team he treats, at best, with disdain. The Heroic Lumberjacks are the passionate, the driven, the caring. For instance, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt), a director pushing through writer's block to capture what she's carrying in her heart. Or Dan Tucker (Winston Duke), a stunt coordinator who knows the angles, timing, and how to bring out the best in his crew. And, of course, there's Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a stuntman willing to get set on fire or launch himself into a wall until the illusion looks like truth. Moviemaking is, in part, an act of love. The Fall Guy knows this.
Colt may be a ragged goofball who's fallen off his horse (not literally, though given his skills, he could), but he's still a knight. He cares deeply for first-time director-and-one-time-lover Jody. That's why he comes out of a self-imposed retirement triggered by the same accident that led him to ghost her. He wants to ensure the science fiction western war epic Metalstorm isn't her last film. Or that a conspiracy, gun-toting goons, and potent hallucinogens don't prevent it from seeing the light of day at all. Continue Reading →
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), Aladdin (1992), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Deadpool 2 (2018), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Die Hard 2 (1990),
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) F9 (2021), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Frozen 3 (), Ghostbusters (1984), Godzilla (1998), Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), King Kong (1933), King Kong (2005), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Night at the Museum (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Superman Returns (2006), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Fountain (2006), The Jungle Book 2 (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), Twelve Monkeys (1995),
Watch afterDune: Part Two (2024),
The most frustrating thing about Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire isn't that it's stupid. It knows it's stupid; it's banking on that. It's not even that its luster has been eclipsed by Japan's most recent entry in the terrible lizard's decades-long rampage on the cinematic landscape, the now-Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One. It's that somehow, director Adam Wingard and the team behind the MonsterVerse have forgotten how to be the right kind of stupid, fumbling the formula that 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong captured with surprising charm. (Then again, our assessments of 2021's COVID-era output are innately suspect, considering most of us were just glad to be back at the movies at all.)
But the more you settle into the latest entry in Warner Bros. and Legendary's "MonsterVerse" -- the Americanized shared universe of Japanese-sourced kaiju movies that started with 2014's Godzilla -- the more confounding this exercise becomes. The end of the previous film in the series teased a kind of detente between Japan's favorite reptile and Skull Island's favored son, the two working together to take down MechaGodzilla after a movie's worth of preening spats on cargo ships and among the skyline of Hong Kong (no relation). You'd think screenwriters Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater would double down on the "what now?" of it all: how would these two reluctant allies share the Earth? That might be fun.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Review (Warner Bros./Legendary)
Instead, The New Empire feels like a semi-retread of Godzilla vs. Kong -- actually, scratch that, more like a King Kong movie with a few bits of Godzilla peppered in here and there. Like so many sitcom roommates before them, the pair have drawn a chalk line halfway down the planet and decided to each keep to their own territory. Godzilla protects humanity from rogue Titans on the surface, and in between bouts, he curls up in the Roman Colosseum like a cat bed, one of the film's more charming images. Meanwhile, Kong searches for other giant apes like him down in the Hollow Earth. (Yeah, that exists now.) Continue Reading →
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), A Bug's Life (1998), A Certain Magical Index: The Miracle of Endymion (2013), A Christmas Carol (1938), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Annie Hall (1977), Armageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Bring It On (2000), Brother Bear (2003), Bugsy Malone (1976), Cars (2006), Chicken Little (2005), Constantine (2005), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dogma (1999), F9 (2021), Fame (2009), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), From Russia with Love (1963), Frozen 3 (), Ghost (1990), Ghostbusters (1984), Goldfinger (1964), Good Luck Chuck (2007), Hellboy (2004), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), King Kong (1933), King Kong (2005), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live and Let Die (1973) Look Who's Talking (1989), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Mamma Mia! (2008),
Manhattan (1979) Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Night at the Museum (2006), Night on Earth (1991), North by Northwest (1959), Ocean's Eleven (1960), Party Monster (2003), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), Pocketful of Miracles (1961), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Scrooge (1951),
Shaft (2000) Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Snakes on a Plane (2006), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Stranger Than Paradise (1984), Superman Returns (2006), The Apartment (1960), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), The Fifth Element (1997), The Green Mile (1999), The Jungle Book 2 (2003), The King of Comedy (1982), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Simpsons Movie (2007), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), The Terminal (2004), Toy Story 2 (1999), Transamerica (2005), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Volver (2006), When Harry Met Sally... (1989),
Watch afterDune: Part Two (2024),
StudioColumbia Pictures,
There are few names as deeply ingrained in the fabric of American pop culture as Ghostbusters, the action-comedy franchise spawned by Ivan Reitman’s beloved 1984 film. Nonetheless, despite its staggering financial success (netting nearly 300 million against a 25 million dollar budget) and pop culture permeance, Sony has had trouble recapturing the magic in later entries. Neither 1989’s Ghostbusters II, 2016’s Ghostbusters, and 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife have neared the original’s success.
Despite that, it seems the Ghostbusters franchise has finally found a sequel concept it’s willing to forge ahead with. The franchise’s latest installment, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, is a direct sequel to Afterlife. It once more reunites Egon Spengler’s (Harold Ramis) children with the three living original Ghostbusters— Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Bill Murray. Despite an intriguing subplot for Phoebe, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is an incohesive, unoriginal entry. It coasts on fan service to carry a paper-thin plot and a lukewarm crop of characters, new and old.
Bill Murray and Paul Rudd discuss their love of fog machines. (Sony Pictures)
Picking up two years after the events of Afterlife, Frozen Empire follows the Spengler family (Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard) to New York City. After the previous film's tradition-breaking decision to unfold in rural Oklahoma, this returns the franchise to its true home. Bankrolled by the uber-wealthy Winston (Hudson) they're back operating out of the old Ghostbusters firehouse. There the Spenglers struggle to juggle ghost-hunting with their interpersonal dynamics. That's all while working to keep the mayor (William Atherton) from shutting the family business. Continue Reading →
Dune: Part Two
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 2046 (2004), A Bug's Life (1998), A Certain Magical Index: The Miracle of Endymion (2013), A Clockwork Orange (1971), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Ben-Hur (1959) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987),
Blade Runner (1982) Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Children of Men (2006), Dances with Wolves (1990), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dr. No (1962), Dune (1984), F9 (2021), Fahrenheit 451 (1966), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), From Russia with Love (1963), Frozen 3 (), Gladiator (2000), Godzilla (1998), Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Goldfinger (1964), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Help! (1965), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), King Kong (2005), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live and Let Die (1973) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Mars Attacks! (1996), Metropolis (1927), Momo (1986), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), North by Northwest (1959), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Predator (1987), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Ronia the Robber's Daughter (1984),
Shaft (2000) Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Solaris (1972), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Stalker (1979), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Starship Troopers (1997), Superman Returns (2006), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Fifth Element (1997), The Fountain (2006), The Great Escape (1963), The Handmaid's Tale (1990), The Jungle Book 2 (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Road (2009), The Thing (1982), The Thirteenth Floor (1999), War of the Worlds (2005), You Only Live Twice (1967),
Watch afterAmerican Fiction (2023), Anatomy of a Fall (2023), Dune (2021), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), Poor Things (2023),
StarringBabs Olusanmokun, Stellan Skarsgård,
Denis Villeneuve finishes his epic two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel with sprawling scope and thorny politics.
It's really a miracle that the first of Denis Villeneuve's Dune films penetrated the public consciousness as well as it did. It was released amid a worldwide pandemic; it was an IMAX-ready blockbuster that was simultaneously dropped onto people's streaming subscriptions same-day; it's based on a dense, impenetrable sci-fi novel Villeneuve patiently chose not to wholly adapt in one film. The results, blessedly, were commercial and critical success and a host of technical Oscars the following year.
That success was enough to secure Dune: Part Two, a chance for Villeneuve to complete his vision of Frank Herbert's seminal work of political science fiction. Where Part One worldbuilds, Part Two barrels down the road of its inevitable conclusion in satisfying style, even as it makes some noted changes from the novel or any previous adaptations -- some for the better, some for the worse. Continue Reading →
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Batman (1989), Batman & Robin (1997), Batman Begins (2005), Batman Forever (1995), Batman Returns (1992),
Ben-Hur (1959) Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Blown Away (1994), Catwoman (2004), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Code of Silence (1985), Constantine (2005), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000), Deadpool 2 (2018), Death Sentence (2007), Die Hard 2 (1990),
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) F9 (2021), Face/Off (1997), Fantastic Four (2005), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Four Brothers (2005), Frozen 3 (), Ghost Rider (2007), Gladiator (2000), Hitman (2007), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Inspector Gadget (1999), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Just Cause (1995), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), Léon: The Professional (1994), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Man on Fire (2004), Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Oldboy (2003), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985),
Shaft (2000) Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), The Avengers (1998), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Dark Knight (2008), The Fifth Element (1997), The Jungle Book 2 (2003), The Legend of Zorro (2005), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Zatoichi (2003),
Watch afterNapoleon (2023), Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023), The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), The Marvels (2023), Wonka (2023),
StarringTemuera Morrison,
A decade's worth of superhero movies goes out with a big, stupid grin on its face.
One would hope that a film franchise with as much money poured into it as the DC Cinematic Universe would rage, rage against the dying of the light. Yet here we are, limping towards the end of a slate of superhero flicks marred by terrible reviews (Shazam! 2), controversy (The Flash), or sheer too-little-too-late-ness (Blue Beetle). As the superhero genre continues to flag in a year of duds, DC's set for a reinvention, a clean slate courtesy of former Marvel it-boy James Gunn and co-head Peter Safran. Before they can wipe the board and start all over with the label's slate of classic capes, though, there's a few rounds left in the last guy's chamber to fire off. That's what Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom feels like, easily the least objectionable of the DC films to come out in 2023. Problem is, that's not saying much.
A sequel to Aquaman should have been a slam dunk: Director James Wan's 2018 take on the King of Atlantis was a welcome breath of neon-soaked pop art in a franchise studded with Snyderesque dourness, leaning into the innate silliness of an underwater take on Flash Gordon. Jason Momoa is as effortless a casting as you could imagine for DC's hardest-to-pin-down superhero, brimming with giddy frat-boy energy. At its best moments, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom leans into its star's goofiness and even lets it infect some of the rest of the cast. But there's no escaping the feeling of weariness, both for a cast and crew who are just repeating the novel beats of the first and an audience that's just plain starved for something new. Continue Reading →
The Marvels
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001), A Bug's Life (1998), Aladdin (1992), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Armageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Batman (1989), Batman & Robin (1997), Batman Begins (2005), Batman Forever (1995), Batman Returns (1992), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), Brother Bear (2003), Cars (2006), Catwoman (2004), Cellular (2004), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Constantine (2005), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Deadpool 2 (2018), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Die Hard 2 (1990),
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) Dogma (1999), Dune (1984), F9 (2021), Fantastic Four (2005), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (1967), Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), Four Brothers (2005), Free Willy (1993), From Russia with Love (1963), Frozen 3 (), Ghost Rider (2007), Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Goldfinger (1964), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Hellboy (2004), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ice Age (2002), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Inspector Gadget (1999), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998),
Live and Let Die (1973) Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Mars Attacks! (1996), Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Sin City (2005), Snakes on a Plane (2006), Solaris (1972), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Superman Returns (2006), The Avengers (1998), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Crow: Salvation (2000), The Dark Knight (2008), The Fifth Element (1997), The Legend of Zorro (2005), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Road (2009), The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009),
Watch afterAquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Five Nights at Freddy's (2023), Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), Napoleon (2023),
Oppenheimer (2023) The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), The Killer (2023), Wonka (2023),
StarringSamuel L. Jackson,
Most films don’t come with homework. The same cannot be said of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new movie, The Marvels. Unless you’re a devoted MCU fan with an encyclopedic knowledge of both the movies and the Disney+ TV originals, it’s difficult to understand the mechanics of this disastrously convoluted entry in the floundering franchise. It feels like being dropped headfirst into a crossover episode based on three shows you’ve never seen -- mostly because it is. The Marvels kicks off with a bit of genuine visual interest (that never appears again) in the form of hand-drawn comics created by teenage superhero-slash-Captain Marvel fangirl Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), aka Ms. Marvel. Vellani, who previously appeared as Kamala on the little-seen Disney+ series Ms. Marvel, is a spunky, hilarious teenage heroine whose impressive comedic timing buoys the leaden, disjointed script. She so thoroughly steals the show that it’s disappointing this movie wasn’t just about her; instead, it's a confused mix of storylines involving Kamala, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), and astronaut Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris, Candyman). It feels like the powers that be made a huge mistake in consigning her story to a poorly publicized streaming original, instead of letting her headline a film on her own. Continue Reading →
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Similar101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2002), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 28 Days Later (2002), 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Aladdin (1992), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Antonia's Line (1995), Armageddon (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Back to the Future Part II (1989),
Back to the Future Part III (1990) Batman Begins (2005), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994),
Blade Runner (1982) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), Brother Bear (2003), Cars (2006), Cellular (2004), Chicken Little (2005), Code of Silence (1985), Con Air (1997), Deadpool 2 (2018), Dogma (1999), Dr. No (1962), Dune (1984), F9 (2021), Fame (2009), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), Fargo (1996), Forrest Gump (1994), Four Brothers (2005), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Good Luck Chuck (2007), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), In China They Eat Dogs (1999), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), Mamma Mia! (2008), Mars Attacks! (1996), Meet the Robinsons (2007), Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Momo (1986), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), North by Northwest (1959), Ocean's Eleven (1960), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Party Monster (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Point Break (1991), Scarface (1932), Shrek (2001),
Shrek the Third (2007) Snakes on a Plane (2006), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Starship Troopers (1997), Superman Returns (2006), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator Salvation (2009), The Avengers (1998), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), The Departed (2006), The Fifth Element (1997), The Godfather Part III (1990), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Road (2009), The Simpsons Movie (2007), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), The Thing (1982), The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008), Toy Story 2 (1999), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Twelve Monkeys (1995), Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), We Own the Night (2007), Wild at Heart (1990), You Only Live Twice (1967),
Watch afterAvatar (2009),
StarringRebecca Romijn,
StudioNew Line Cinema,
An overview of the diverse features selected to screen at this year's Austin Film Festival.
This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the work being covered here wouldn't exist.
A cycle rickshaw, adorned with a Texas flag billowing in the wind, whizzes by while blaring a Luke Combs tune. Massive murals of Willie Nelson and Post Malone gaze down on passersby like the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg. A man in a Blue Lives Matter shirt waltzes past a "PROTECT TRANS KIDS" sign planted on the lawn of a Catholic Church. Welcome to Austin, Texas, a Southern hotspot that, for the final weekend of October 2023, wasn't just home to these and other oddball sights, but also the backdrop for the 30th edition of the Austin Film Festival. Though not as world-famous as the Toronto International Film Festival or Cannes, Austin's annual ode to cinema is still a much-ballyhooed event attended by freelance journalists, aspiring screenwriters, iconic filmmakers, and everyone in between. Continue Reading →
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
SimilarA.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Aliens (1986), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), F9 (2021), Face/Off (1997), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964),
Shrek the Third (2007) Watch afterBarbie (2023) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), The Flash (2023),
StarringColman Domingo, Cristo Fernández,
The blockbuster landscape shifted with Michael Bay's 2007 Transformers movie. It fit his directing style, with his love of explosions and male gazing, but what it amounted to was a guy playing with big, expensive cinematic toys. There was knowledge gained from those five previous installments when the 2018 spin-off Bumblebee had more personality and excitement than any of its predecessors. Continue Reading →
The Purge: Election Year
When The Purge film series began, it attempted to create a heightened, ultraviolent version of the future that was both laughably over-the-top and an accurate reflection of the current political climes. They created a dystopia that was vaguely familiar but could still leave you rolling your eyes at its implausibility. For those unfamiliar with the franchise, the concept is as follows: On one night each year, the US government legalizes all crime, including murder, in the hopes of providing an outlet for Americans’ rage. It ultimately leads to an overall decrease in crime and an (ostensibly) utopian society. Continue Reading →
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
SimilarAladdin (1992), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Die Hard 2 (1990),
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) F9 (2021), Free Willy (1993), Godzilla Raids Again (1955), Hellboy (2004),
Live Free or Die Hard (2007) Night at the Museum (2006), Shrek 2 (2004),
Shrek the Third (2007) Superman Returns (2006), The Legend of Zorro (2005),
Watch afterAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023),
Barbie (2023) Fast X (2023),
Oppenheimer (2023) Thanksgiving (2023), The Flash (2023), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023),
StarringDee Bradley Baker,
A lot's happened since we last saw the Guardians of the Galaxy (well, besides their brief cameo in Thor: Love and Thunder). Writer/director James Gunn was fired from Marvel in 2018 after some problematic tweets joking about pedophilia were unearthed, in one of the few instances of a successful cancellation from the right wing. Of course, it didn't last long, considering how thin the ground was for said cancellation in the first place; and in the interim, he swanned off to DC, made the fantastic The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, and eventually found himself sharing the throne of a newly-revamped DC movie universe. Continue Reading →